Winemaker Notes
Dark ruby-purple. Deep, alluring aromas of black currant and black plum are layered with expressive notes of dark chocolate, espresso, and perfume of lavender. Supple, concentrated, and seamless, the palate displays vibrant fruit with undertones of tilled earth and sea salt. Firm, integrated tannins provide a structured backbone to the opulence of the wine, finishing with a lasting, powerful impression.
Blend: 96% Cabernet, 4% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall is more supple and elegant, with terrific up-front charm and complexity already present. Revealing a deep purple color, it's full-bodied and concentrated, with classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon notes of cassis, leafy herbs, flowers, and lead pencil. The tannins are ripe and polished, it has terrific overall balance as well as remarkable freshness, and it’s just a brilliant 2018 you'll love to have in the cellar. Give it a few years and enjoy over the following 20-25. Best After 2022
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A barrel sample of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall is opaque purple-black colored with a beautiful perfume of bold black currants, Black Forest cake and aniseed with candied violets, ripe red and black plums and rose hip tea notions plus a waft of forest floor. The full-bodied palate is a little closed and tightly wound with elegant, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant.
Barrel Sample: (95-97)+ -
Wine Spectator
Rich and ripe, with a caressing edge to its plum paste and cassis core, while melted red licorice, red tea and iron notes add range and length through the fine-grained finish. Not shy on stuffing, but there's a nice sense of refinement to the structure, which lets the fruit play out nicely.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon is packed, powerful, and persistent. TASTING NOTES: This wine excels with aromas and flavors of black fruit, oak, earth, minerality, and shaved chocolate. Pair it with the first cut from an oven-roasted prime rib and an accent of Roquefort cheese. (Tasted: February 25, 2022, Napa, CA)
Hall Wines is located in Napa Valley and employs organic small-vine viticulture, precision winemaking, wild-yeast fermentation and micro-block blending to fully extract the purity and quintessence of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Their estate vineyards encompass more than 300 acres of classic Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. The Halls have a strong respect for the environment and a commitment to cutting edge technology to yield the highest quality grapes. Through meticulous attention to detail in the vineyards, Hall wines are able to express the unique and diverse character of Napa Valley's soils and climate.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.